Contempt cases: Courts have a history of giving multiple opportunities to accused
In the past, the Supreme Court (SC) had given three opportunities to former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani in the contempt case.
Yesterday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) adjourned the hearing of a contempt case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former premier Imran Khan till September 7 and gave him another chance to tender an apology.
The mainstream media channels and social media have made an uproar that the IHC has knelt down but in the contempt of court case, the SC had given three opportunities to former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani for not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities.
A five-member larger bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minullah heard the contempt of court case against Imran Khan.
The Islamabad High Court declared the reply submitted by Khan to the show-cause notice in the contempt of court case as unsatisfactory and ordered him to submit the reply again in seven days.
Justice Athar Minullah told Imran Khan’s lawyer that whatever written answer you have to give, think carefully, you should also understand the seriousness of this matter.
During the hearing, Justice Mian Gul Hasan remarked that the contempt of court proceedings could have ended today, but it did not because your answer was not satisfactory.
The court ordered the PTI chief to give a written reply within 7 days and asked him to submit a reply within 7 days while the high court appointed senior lawyers Munir A Malik, Makhdoom Ali Khan and President Pakistan Bar Council as amicus curiae. The hearing of the contempt case was adjourned till September 8 by appointing a judicial assistant.
Various political leaders and senior journalists are criticising the court decision.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Twitter that the injustices with Nawaz Sharif and PML-N are once again evident in front of the whole nation, on the other hand, relaxations are being given to Imran Khan. She added that the scales have not straightened so far.
عمران خان کو فراہم کردہ ڈھیل اور سہولیات سے اور کچھ ثابت ہو نا ہو نواز شریف اور مسلم لیگ ن سے ہونیوالی ناانصافیاں اور زیادتیاں ایک بار پھر پوری قوم کے سامنے عیاں ہو گئیں۔ ترازو سیدھا نہیں ہو سکا۔
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) August 31, 2022
Senior journalist and anchor person Gharidah Farooqi tweeted, “Were Daniyal Aziz, Talal Chaudhry and Nehal Hashmi given a chance to file a second reply? These politicians apologized on the first occasion. Court of Justice Or the justice of the court? Double standard?”
کیادانیال عزیز، طلال چوہدری، نہال ہاشمی کو دوسرا جواب داخل کروانے کا موقع دیا گیا تھا۔۔۔؟ ان سیاستدانوں نے تو پہلی ہی مرتبہ پر معافی مانگ لی تھی۔ انصاف کی عدالت۔۔۔ یا عدالت کا انصاف۔۔؟ دہرا معیار۔۔؟
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) August 31, 2022
Senior journalist Murtaza Solangi wrote, “Nehal Hashmi apologised and left himself at the mercy of the court. He was jailed for a month, fined and disqualified for five years.”
نہال ہاشمی نے معافی مانگی اور خود کو عدالت کے رحم و کرم پر چھوڑ دیا۔ اسے ایک مہینے کی جیل ہوئی، جرمانہ ہوا اور اسے پانچ سال کیلیے نا اہل بھی کیا گیا۔#ایک_ملک_دو_معیار https://t.co/RUkdcEVgGI
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) August 31, 2022
Yousaf Raza Gillani case
The contempt of court case against the former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader was initiated in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on March 8, 2012. The top court had ordered Gilani to write a letter to the Swiss authorities to bring back the wealth of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari kept in Swiss banks.
On June 19, 2012, the top court disqualified then PM Gilani in the contempt of court case.
Analysts said that ex-PM Gillani was an example who had been given three opportunities by the top court to write a letter to the Swiss authorities, if Imran Khan was given a chance then it is not an unusual decision.
